Camouflage Isopods (Troglodillo Rotondatus)
Camouflage Isopods (Troglodillo Rotondatus)
Camouflage Isopods For Sale
These tiny invertebrates make an interesting addition to any terrarium or bioactive setup. But before you bring them home, there are some things you should know.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: A Glimpse
- Origin: China
- Scientific Name: Trogrodillo Camouflagius
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Size: Up to 1.5 cm
- Rarity: Rare
- Temperature: 20-26°C
- Humidity: 60-80%
- Favourite Food: Rotting leaves, wood, and dead plant material.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: An Overview
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are part of a larger isopod family that includes various other species. These isopods are good for the environment because they break down organic material in ecosystems.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are admired for their camouflage abilities, which allow them to blend into their environment easily. This colour helps can mimic their surroundings to become nearly invisible and protect themselves from predators.
Besides their beauty and survival tactics, these isopods play a vital role in bioactive terrariums. They help break down waste and dead plant material and clean the terrarium. Since you don't have to maintain the setup regularly, you can keep them with other pets like house reptiles or amphibians.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: Basic Care
Like other isopods, Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods require few care and maintenance requirements. Just follow the following steps, and you'll be good to go.
- Maintaining the correct temperature and humidity inside the terrarium is key to keeping these isopods healthy. Since they are highly sensitive to their environment, you should monitor the conditions in the enclosure regularly using a thermometer and hygrometer.
- It is important to ensure the temperature inside the enclosure remains between 20-26°C. The humidity level should be between 60 and 80%.
- You can keep these isopods in a well-ventilated plastic or glass container. Just check that the container has enough space for them to move around in.
- You should add a lid with small holes to prevent them from escaping and maintain the airflow.
- To create a humidity gradient, you must keep one side of the enclosure moist. By doing so, you can regulate the moisture intake of the isopods as needed.
- Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are light-sensitive and prefer to live in darker environments. Therefore, you don't have to add UV lighting to their enclosure.
- You should use the right substrate mix for their well-being. The substrate should also be damp, not soaked.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: Feeding
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are natural detritivores for those unversed, which means they feed on decomposing organic matter. To keep your isopods happy and healthy, you must provide them with a balanced diet of different foods.
One of their favourite foods is rotting plant material, which is easily found in their natural habitat. So, please provide them with enough dead leaves and decomposing wood.
You can supplement their diet with small quantities of vegetables like cucumber, zucchini, or squash. You should also remove leftover food from their enclosure to avoid mould growth.
It is important to provide these isopods with a good source of protein, like fish flakes or freeze-dried shrimp, at least once a week. As for calcium supplements, you can give them cuttlebones or eggshells, as they help grow their exoskeletons.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: Appearance And Behaviour
- Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are small, oval-shaped creatures with segmented, armor-like exoskeletons.
- These isopods are available in various colours, including light brown and dark grey.
- Due to their camouflage abilities, they can easily blend into their surroundings effectively. Some species may even have mottled patterns that mimic the appearance of tree bark or leaf litter.
- These isopods are shy and docile by nature. Maybe this is why they are more active at night than during the day. They also prefer to live in dimly lit or dark environments.
- A unique feature of these isopods is that they can roll into a ball when threatened. This behaviour is known as conglobation, and it is used as a defence mechanism.
- Although Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods are solitary creatures, they prefer to live in small groups.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: Habitat
Talking about Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods' habitat, they tend to live on forest floors where they can easily hide under leaf litter, logs, and other decaying materials. In the wild, they usually live in warm and moist areas. This is why it is important to recreate these conditions in captivity.
When setting up a terrarium for these isopods, you should provide plenty of hiding places, such as pieces of cork bark, rocks, and leafy debris. These allow them to burrow and hide whenever they feel threatened, and they also provide them with a place to rest and sleep.
You can add live plants to the terrarium to maintain humidity levels. This will also help you provide additional organic matter for the isopods so they can consume it for days. However, it would help if you were careful when selecting plants for your isopods. It would help if you chose plants found in high-humidity environments that can withstand being nibbled on.
Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods: Substrate Mix
One important aspect of Trogrodillo Camouflage Isopods is the substrate mix. If you are determined to keep these creatures as pets, make sure to provide them with a well-balanced substrate.
Coconut coir is an organic material that helps retain moisture, making it the perfect base for your isopods. You can also add sphagnum moss to create a more natural environment and maintain the humidity level.
It is important to include plenty of decaying leaves so your isopods have a place to hide. When hungry, they can also feed on the decaying leaves. Some enthusiasts also add charcoal to the enclosure, as it helps improve air circulation and prevents bacterial buildup.
It is a good idea to add crushed cuttlebones or powdered eggshells to your tiny pets' diets so that they can enjoy some extra calcium for their exoskeleton development.
Last, you should maintain the substrate mix by keeping it moist. However, it would help if you didn't overdo it, as it can create problems for the isopods.